NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD HAVE BRAVE AND RESOLUTE SPEAKER TO INCREASE ROLE OF PARLIAMENT, VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Se p 18, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. A brave speaker is needed
in order to increase the role of the Armenian parliament. The ARF
bureau member, National Assembly deputy Vahan Hovhannisian made this
comment on the initiative of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
to nominate Hovik Abrahamian instead of Tigran Torosian as speaker
of the National Assembly.

In his words, as a result of constitutional amendments the
parliament received an opportunity to become a counterbalance to the
government. This in its turn requires improving the professional
level of NA deputies and having a resolute speaker. In his words,
if the role of the NA had been as high as needed, the replacement of
the speaker would have caused much more serious objections.

V. Hovhannisian said that the ARF does not object to the candidacy of
H. Abrahamian as NA speaker as it does not consider this replacement
as "obviously unjustified". He reminded that under the coalition
agreement, the post of the NA speaker is given to RPA that chooses
a candidate itself. In response to reporters’ question about whether
an increase in the number of those with nicknames will help improve
the professional level of deputies, V. Hovhannisian made a call to
refrain from insulting other people.